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How To Buy The Best Gaming System: The Top Features Your Gaming Laptop Computer Must Have

thehigherstandard | Jan 7, 2012 |

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This article is Part 2 of an article discussing what you must know to buy the best gaming laptop computer, including which features your gamer laptop system must have. Part 1 of this article can be found here: How To Pick The Best Gaming Laptop. These articles should be read together as the first part of the article includes speed-related considerations, while this part discusses important sound factors that affect your gaming experience.

Of course, when consumers demand the ability to play complex, high-speed games on their laptops, conflicting and contradictory demands were being made of the computer manufacturers. Specifically, the consuming public demanded that new laptop computer be smaller and portable while, at the same time, have much more power and speed as well as a battery with significantly longer running time. Fortunately, the two leading manufacturers of microprocessors, Intel and AMD, took up the call and tasked their designers and engineers with designing laptop computers with gamers in mind. As previously discussed, the best gaming system will included three vital components: speed, sound, and image clarity.

The Best Gaming Laptops Have Tremendous Sound

Gaming Laptop Sound Card

While the quality of the sound produced by your laptop probably will not negatively affect your game playing, why in the world would you ever settle for the basic, crappy sound chips installed in basic desktop and laptop computers? If you are anything like me, you want your sound cranked up high (either through your speakers, which we will talk about below, or through some quality headphones, if you are trying not to disturb those around you), allowing you to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of the gaming experience. As such, you will want Soundblaster, or something along those lines, added to your gaming system (and yes, a great gamer laptop is a system of a bunch of quality parts but together in a way that maximizes technology to the fullest).

Another sound-related feature that your will want to have included in your gaming laptop computer is an advanced audio feature called “spatial imaging.” While the name sounds technical, the concept is brilliant and really adds to the experience of playing today’s top computer games. Generally speaking, this feature makes the sound generated from your sound card appear to jump from place to place (i.e., from the left or the right), and even originate way off in the distance or from behind you. In other words, spatial imaging finally allows the computer to generate sound in a manner that accurately recreates the sounds you would hear if you were actually inside the environment of the game!

Please note that it is very important to arrange for the inclusion of a high quality gaming sound card at the time you purchase the laptop as it is both impractical, as well as financially unrealistic, to try to install it after you buy the machine and start using it. Of course, there are other less favorable options (which are still hands down better than the factory-installed sound cards) such as using an external sound adapter. These types of adapters generally plus into a PC card or Express Card slot, or even your computer’s USB port. While these will work to add great sound to your gaming fun, it will draw power from your battery so you will need to keep that in mind when determining the amount of game play you have left (or plug the laptop into a wall current, which moots that consideration).

Gaming Laptop Speakers

Because technology continues to improve, laptops are now being manufactured that include built-in speakers that deliver acceptable sound quality. For example, the HP Pavilion dv7 with Beats audio sounds amazing. It is actually the laptop I use for my work-related activities, including writing this article while blasting my favorite music. With that said, as good as the built-in speakers sound, they do not hold a candle to the external speakers available which have their own powered amplifiers. Simply stated, built-in speakers cannot even remotely match the strength, volume and clarity of the external speakers available on the market today. It is not even close! As a result, you will want to add a set to your gaming laptop improve the overall experience.

If you are not familiar with external speakers, as a general rule, there are three types of systems available:

2.1 external speaker systems – these have the basics: a left, a right, and a subwoofer;
3.1 external speaker systems – a little more advanced that the 2.1 systems, these include a left, a right, a center, and a subwoofer; and
5.1 external speak systems – the top dog, these external speakers consist of a left, a right, a center, a rear left, a rear right, and a subwoofer.

If you are going to buy a sound card with spatial imaging (and I highly suggest that you do), the 5.1 external speaker system is absolutely the way to go.

Gaming Laptop Headphones

Alternatively, if you have no interest in lugging around a set of external speakers to play your games, or perhaps you do not want bother the people around you as you play, you can also purchase a quality set of headphones. Made specifically to deliver the best audio possible right into your eardrums, you cannot go wrong with this option.

As a quick aside, there are several important factors to consider when you are buying quality gaming headphones. First, you will demand quality sound. However, you will be surprised at just how easily this demand can be met. Simply pick a reputable manufacturer such as Boise, Shure, or Monster, and you are on your ways. However, there are other concerns as well.

For example, if you consider yourself an audiophile, whether it is because you find yourself constantly listening to music or are plugged into the latest computer game battling opponents from around the world, headphone comfort will certainly play a major role in your satisfaction level. As such, you must be absolutely sure that the gamer headphones you choose fit your head and ears properly; otherwise you will stop using them, which detracts from your experience, as well as constituting a serious waste of money.

Next, you must demand that your gaming earphones be durable. Considering the time and money invested in this auxiliary gaming accessory, you must demand that that it be able to stand up to the wear and tear of extended use. Relatedly, find out what type of warranty is included, paying special attention to actually registering the product with the manufacturer and sending in the warranty card. If you wait until you have a problem with your headphone, it will probably be too late to cheaply remedy the issue.

Finally, it goes without saying that the cost of the gaming headphones is a consideration that must not be overlooked. However, relatively speaking, the cost of the headphones is slight compared to that of the best gaming laptop system. As such, spend a few hundred bucks and get the best gamer headphones you can afford. You will thank yourself later.

Part 3 of this article can be read here: Features Your Gaming Laptop Must Include.